Learning a Glide Kip – it’s all about the Swing

originally posted at http://www.goodfeelingplace.com/learning-a-glide-kip-its-all-about-the-swing
I have received quite a few questions about glide kips over at allexperts, so I thought I would write a summary of my suggestions in one place that I can refer people to. It is a skill that is tricky for many people because it is not based on strength, flexibility, or balance – it is the swing that matters most.

The kip can be tricky to learn, but the trick is to use your body to your advantage. Here are the 3 key movements I think it helps to think about:
1) When you scoop your feet under the bar just above the floor (depending on your height), you want to get your feet as far up as you can and extend your body as far as you can from the bar before you change direction.
2) As soon as you feel yourself coming back down, you want to get in a tight pike with your feet about a tennis ball away from the bar (and your hands) while your nose is almost between your knees
3) As you swing back, you’ll want to start pulling the bar towards your hips (after you pass under the bar) but keep the bar right next to your straight legs while pulling it.

I’ve tried it on a trapeze before and actually hit my head with the bar the first time because I was used to a stationary bar! After a few tries I was able to do a kip on the trapeze, though I had to adjust my swing and keep my arms straight in order to get up without hitting my head.

But on the playground or in a gym, the proper swing will take you up to a hip support on top of the bar, which is fun and feels very satisfying for me even after 24 years. 🙂